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"Saint Nusjuro, I'm doing everything I can to get there as fast as possible.
In mid-air, Kong, the Commander-in-Chief of the World Government's army, was furiously using Moonwalk, speeding towards Impel Down.
He was still holding the Den Den Mushi in his hand, talking to the Warrior God of Finance on the other end.
"After this is all over, I'll bring the two of you to the Holy Land."
"The leaders of these two organizations have openly declared war. If word gets out, what face will the World Government have left?"
"Akira is too reckless, and Desmond is no different."
Kong's eyelids drooped slightly, his expression equally grim.
To be honest, he was also caught off guard.
He was sneaking in to enjoy life with a cup of coffee when he received the news from the Five Elders.
The Marines and Impel Down, going head-to-head!
Damn it, even thinking about this now, he feels like he's going to have a stroke.
If you have conflicts, why not ask the World Government to mediate? Instead, you choose to lead your own forces into a fight. Is this really how a ruler of the seas behaves?
Isn't this just like gangsters brawling in the streets?
It's ridiculous to even think about.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to bring both of you there," Kong gritted his teeth and promised.
"Alright! Speed it up. From what I'm hearing, there's a lot of chaos inside."
"Then I'll hang up now."
"Good!"
Snap.
Kong hung up the Den Den Mushi without another word and tucked it away.
Then he took a deep breath.
In the next second, his entire body suddenly turned red, and steam began to pour from his pores.
"Secret Art: Moonwalk Extreme Flash."
Kong pointed his toes into the air.
With a bang, he suddenly vanished, as if he had never been there.
Looking closer, he had already travelled hundreds of meters away.
After repeating this several times, he was no longer visible in the sky.
On the fourth floor, in the Blazing Hell.
"Garp, Akira is fighting Desmond downstairs. When are you going to step in?"
Tsuru approached and immediately saw Garp standing by the corridor.
Garp shook his head and replied, "This was Akira's own request; he asked us not to interfere."
"But he's the Fleet Admiral of the Marines. That bastard Desmond won't hold back just because of his rank. If something happens to Akira, it would be a loss for the whole world."
"Don't worry, Tsuru. My Observation Haki has locked onto Akira's presence."
Garp waved his hand, reassuring Tsuru's worried heart with ease and calmness. "If he shows any signs of defeat, I'll rush to save him immediately."
"From here to there, I just need a few breaths."
"Relax."
After saying that, Garp pounded his chest confidently.
Seeing this, Tsuru couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Having known Garp for decades, she understood him well.
Although he can be unreliable at times, once he makes the gesture of pounding his chest, it means everything is under his control.
From then until now, whenever he makes a promise, he's never failed.
"Do you think Akira can beat Desmond?" Tsuru leaned against the wall and asked.
"Tut tsk tsk..." Garp stroked his chin, his eyes flickering a few times before finally shaking his head and replying, "Hard to say!"
"Akira has definitely gotten a lot stronger recently, but honestly, that monster's body and Devil Fruit ability give him an edge.
"If you take away those two, Akira only has mastery of one of the Six Styles and can only use Conqueror's Haki. He doesn't have much else to rely on."
"Desmond, on the other hand, is different. Aside from his ancient abilities, his mastery of both Armament Haki and Observation Haki is top-notch.
"He's strong, in every way!"
"However, I haven't interacted with him much, so I don't know him well. Most of what I know comes from Archibald and the others."
As Tsuru listened, her expression grew serious.
If you compare them like this, Akira really doesn't seem to stand a chance.
From any angle, it looks like he's bound to lose.
"If Akira wants to win, there's only one way."
"What's that?" Garp asked.
"He has to keep evading and wearing down Desmond until his stamina runs out."
"Hahahahaha, that might take a long time."
Garp laughed and shifted his gaze to the stairs leading to the lower floor. "But it's fine. If Desmond really injures Akira, I'll kill him myself."
Tsuru's heart skipped a beat, and her expression became more serious.
Although Garp said it jokingly, she couldn't dismiss it.
After all, over the past two months, anyone with eyes could see Akira's talent for leadership.
Only he could potentially bring an end to this era of piracy that no one else could fully understand.
If such a valuable asset were to be lost at Desmond's hands, it would indeed be the Marine's greatest loss.
It wouldn't just be Garp who'd want to kill; even Sengoku and Zephyr would be furious.
'I hope it doesn't come to that,' she sighed inwardly.
On the fifth floor, in Freezing Hell, Akira, who had been underestimated by many, was showing a completely different side.
The tall and terrifying Desmond was being tossed around by Akira like a clumsy gorilla.
Every time Desmond tried to counterattack, Akira would vanish right in front of him.
And every time Desmond regained his bearings, he'd immediately get hit again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Desmond took a punch to the left cheek, and his massive frame staggered.
But before he could steady himself, Akira reappeared on his right side in a flash, raising his leg high and delivering a powerful kick.
"Can't see, can't see, too fast."
"Even if my Observation Haki senses it, my body can't keep up."
Desmond staggered a few steps, his eyes bloodshot from rage.
The humiliation in his chest was on the verge of completely burning away his sanity.
"Hahahaha, this is amazing, just amazing!"
"It's not even a contest. With this physique and this speed, there's nothing I can't do!"
In contrast, Akira was ecstatic.
He was darting around mid-air, effortlessly maneuvering each time he stepped on air.
This was Moonwalk from the Marine Six Styles.
As a high-ranking officer, Akira had memorized every detail of the Six Styles.
In the past, his physical fitness had limited him, so he couldn't master it.
After spending 20,000 experience points last night to push himself to an inhuman level, he just had a whim and decided to try using Moonwalk.
To his surprise, he mastered it instantly, without any need for a teacher or practice.
And now, with each use, he was becoming more proficient in Moonwalk.
To make a vivid analogy, it was like being a high-end computer that usually doesn't do much, but when it's time to play a game, it can handle anything on the market effortlessly.
The same applied to his inhuman physique at this moment.
As long as he wanted to, he could master all the Marine Six Styles completely.
"Come on, put more pressure on me. As the director of Impel Down, you should have more in your arsenal than this."
Akira moved and appeared not far away.
"Bastard, don't look down on me!"
Desmond was furious, feeling that Akira was underestimating him.
He flexed his muscles violently, fully activating the power of his Devil Fruit.
Suddenly, an ancient monster as tall as a mountain appeared in front of him.
At the same time, his Armament Haki began covering his striking parts.
The relaxed expression on Akira's face vanished.
His fists clenched involuntarily.
"Fleet Admiral, use your Devil Fruit power, or people will think I'm bullying you."
"No need! I don't think I need to show all my cards against you."
Akira walked forward slowly, showing no fear despite the prehistoric monster standing before him.
Since Desmond had a very strong Armament Haki, Akira knew that using the shapeshifting leaves would probably be ineffective.
But Akira had great confidence in his monstrous defense.
When his physique had previously reached the monster level, he had practiced on a deserted island against some beasts.
Now, his physique had risen to an emperor level.
To get familiar with and develop his body as quickly as possible, he needed a stronger opponent.
Akira didn't want anyone else to know about this.
And conveniently, a perfect candidate stood before him.
If he missed this opportunity, it'd be gone.
So, Akira had no intention of using anything but his own body.
Hum!
The air in Freezing Hell suddenly grew heavy.
Akira's power was increasing rapidly.
Desmond's eyes widened in disbelief, and he shouted, "Conqueror's Haki? You bastard have that level of power?"
Akira grinned. "In this Impel Down, your information is really outdated. Did you just figure that out?"
Boom.
No longer holding back, Akira unleashed his monster-level Conqueror's Haki with full force.
It felt almost tangible as it slammed into Desmond.
At the same time, Akira appeared right in front of Desmond and delivered a powerful punch.
"Die!"
On the sixth floor, in Eternal Hell.
This floor was different from the others.
There was no light, no freedom to speak of.
Most of the infamous pirates locked here were in individual cages, with no one talking or engaging in any form of entertainment.
"Huh? Such powerful Conqueror's Haki." In the darkness, someone suddenly exclaimed.
This broke the silence abruptly.
"It seems to be coming from the floor above. I recognize one of the auras—it's Desmond."
"Who is it? Who's actually fighting Desmond?"
"A pirate? Maybe someone planning to escape after being captured? Come, come to Eternal Hell; there are plenty of powerful thugs here to help you."
"That unknown guy is strong. I can feel Desmond's aura being disturbed."
Suddenly, a voice came from deeper within the darkness: "He's scared! He's afraid."
"Red Count, are you serious?"
"That's right. Desmond is no ordinary person. Would he really be afraid?"
Patrick Redfield, known as the Red Count, ignored their doubts and had no desire to respond further.
After speaking, he returned to the shadows.
Time passed slowly.
Kong's figure suddenly appeared outside the first floor of Impel Down.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
As soon as he arrived, without saying a word, he bent over with his hands on his thighs, panting heavily.
At this moment, Kong's face was drenched in sweat.
It was clear that the technique he had used earlier had taken a significant toll on him.
"Forcing a old man like me to use that move, really..."
"I'm not the big, strong guy I used to be—I'm exhausted, okay?"
After grumbling to himself, he straightened up and looked ahead.
He saw that the once towering gate of Impel Down had been blown to pieces.
His face darkened.
Without another word, he immediately marched inside.
"Commander Kong!"
As he walked, numerous Marine officers, who were either resting, cleaning up the battlefield, or lost in thought, immediately saluted and greeted him upon seeing him.
But with Kong filled with anger, he had no time to acknowledge their greetings.
Ignoring everyone, he didn't even bother with the three monstrous Vice Admirals, Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan.
He ran straight down the stairs.
Finally, he spotted Garp in the hallway on the fifth floor.
"Dammit, Garp, where's Akira?"
Without hesitation, Kong rushed forward, grabbed Garp by the collar, and demanded answers.
Garp scratched his head and pointed downwards, looking a bit embarrassed. "He's having a one-on-one fight with Desmond in the Freezing Hell below."
"What? How could Akira be fighting him?"
Kong couldn't believe it. Without another word, he released Garp and rushed off.
Garp shrugged, then followed along with Tsuru.
Now that Commander Kong had arrived, it seemed this internal conflict couldn't continue.
Kong moved swiftly, even using Shave to increase his speed.
In just a few breaths, he reached the entrance to Freezing Hell.
As he rushed in, he raised his voice and shouted:
"Stop! Pull your punches!"
"Akira is the Marine Fleet Admiral! Desmond, you can't kill him, or else I won't let you off the hook."
His loud voice echoed throughout the frozen hell.
But there was no response.
Kong followed his Observation Haki and rushed over.
Finally, through the swirling snowstorm, he saw a scene that left him stunned.
Desmond lay in a pool of blood, his condition unclear—whether he was alive or dead.
Beside him, a three-eyed woman was pulling her hand away from his head.
Akira was drenched in sweat, his fists so battered that bone was visible.
With a glance, Kong's extensive combat experience told him immediately that these injuries were from Akira's relentless attacks, disregarding the damage to his own body.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, what was that you were saying just now?"
Akira looked at him, tilting his head slightly.
Kong stood speechless.